Crosslinked or crosslinkable polyarylenes that are stable at high temperatures and have good electrical insulative properties have been taught for use in the manufacture of microelectronic devices. U.S. Pat. No. 5,965,679 (Godschalx et al.) taught the manufacture of such materials by reacting polyfunctional compounds having two or more cyclopentadienone groups with polyfunctional compounds having two or more aromatic acetylene groups, at least some of the polyfunctional compounds having three or more reactive groups. These materials are useful as interlayer dielectrics in manufacture of integrated circuits and as dielectrics in manufacture of other microelectronic devices. Godschalx et al. also taught monomers which contained one cyclopentadienone group together with two aromatic acetylene groups and polymers made from such monomers. Typically, these materials are spin coated onto a substrate followed by a hotplate baking step and a subsequent curing at about 400° C. in an oven to complete the cure.
In WO 01/38417, it was taught that it may be desirable to adjust the modulus of polymers as taught in Godschalx et al., by adjusting the ratio of the reactants in Godschalx or by adding other reactive species to the monomers or to the partially polymerized product of Godschalx.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,128 teaches aromatic polymers containing cyclopentadienone groups that may react with aromatic polymers containing phenylacetylene groups to provide branched or cross-linked polymers. U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,812 shows polymers which contain both cyclopentadienone groups and phenyl acetylene groups in the backbone of the polymer.